Understanding the transformative power of multilingualism is vital. Over half of mankind daily speaks more than one language, and multilingualism brings advantages for community relations, business, and global understanding. Yet the linguistic landscape is changing fast, with English increasingly the lingua franca. In the UK, many schools are highly multilingual, despite falling numbers learning languages, and almost 1 in 5 primary school pupils have a first language other than English. Equally integral to a multilingual UK are the indigenous languages (e.g. Irish, Scottish Gaelic). The decline in pupils taking language GCSEs/A-levels and the number of children with English as an additional language are often portrayed negatively, and the value of community and minoritized languages is underestimated. The aim of MEITS was to reflect critically on multilingualism and to transform attitudes through greater understanding. Our approach was holistic, exploring individuals, communities and nations. We analysed the situations giving rise to multilingualism, its social implications and creative possibilities, and the relationships between languages, cultures, identities and standards. We explored why individuals/societies choose (consciously or not) to be multilingual, the potential of multilingualism as ‘mental gymnastics’, ways to optimize language learning in school, and the benefits of multilingualism for community and international relations.